118 FRIENDS WORTH KNOWING. 



of the winter approaches, they are among the first to hasten 

 to their home within the arctic circle. In every alternate 

 flock of snow-flakes may perhaps be found one or two Lap- 

 land longspurs another bird which builds its nest in the 

 moss at the foot of Greenland glaciers. Its coat is white 

 and black and chestnut, so that it is easily distinguishable 

 from its lighter fellow, but it is very uncommon. 



Next to the diminutive humming-bird, the smallest bird 

 on this continent is the golden -crested kinglet, on whose 

 tiny brow rests a coronet of gold, fiery red and black, 

 below which the jewelled eye is set in a soft, dusky back- 

 ground of olive-green. From tooth to tail he is not so long 

 as your finger, yet this pygmy braves the fury and desola- 

 tion of winter as cheerily as though soft skies arched over- 

 head. I owe him many thanks for piping, his nonchalant, 

 contented little lecture into my ears when I have growled 

 at the weather and the "foolishness" which dragged me 

 out-of-doors on certain terrible days, only to see what such 

 absurd fellows as he were about. He is the most indepen- 

 dent, irrepressible little chap I know of, and for the life of 

 me I never can be down-hearted when he is by. In sum- 

 mer the gold-crest (like his royal brother, the ruby-crown) 

 is a fly-catcher, expertly seizing insects on the wing ; and 

 on warm days in winter he forages in the tree-tops for such 



